Housing

Applying for financial aid to improve the sound insulation of residential buildings against aircraft noise

Non residents

Residents

Last updated more than 5 years ago

Owners of residential buildings built before 31 August 1986 may be granted financial aid to improve the sound insulation against aircraft noise from Luxembourg Airport.

There are 3 types of such aid:

aid for guidance and advice on sound insulation;

aid for the monitoring and oversight of the insulation work;

aid for the construction elements.

These types of financial aid may, in principle, be combined with the existing aid regime for energy savings and the use of renewable energy if the conditions of the 2 aid regimes are satisfied.

Who is concerned

Any owner of a house or flat meeting the required criteria for a residential building may apply for financial aid.

A commonhold association may also apply, depending on the case, for the whole building or for the communal areas in a residential building, or as a representative of one or more of the commonhold owners.

Prerequisites

In order to be eligible for sound insulation improvement work, the residential building must be a heavy-construction building—other than hotels, teaching establishments and healthcare centres or social welfare centres—used either wholly or partially for residential purposes, and for which the building permit was issued prior to 31 August 1986.

Preliminary steps

Guidance and advice on sound insulation

Prior to the start of the works to improve the sound insulation, advice on improving the sound insulation must be sought from a buildings acoustics adviser.

That advice pertains to the whole of the building, and comes in the form of a written report, produced and signed by the buildings acoustics adviser, who sends one copy to the applicant and two copies to the Environment Agency (Administration de l'environnement) by recommended letter with acknowledgement of receipt. If the building in which the improvement works are to be carried out is a commonhold residential building, advice on improvement must be requested by the commonhold association for the whole of the building.

The establishment of an energy recommendations report by an approved acoustics adviser is
mandatory in order to receive financial aid.

Oversight of the work by a building acoustics adviser

The works to improve the sound insulation must be overseen by a building acoustics adviser. The works may be carried out in one go or in several phases. For each of these phases of the work, an application may be filed for partial subsidies.

When the work is carried out in several stages, or differs from what was set out in the adviser's report on improving acoustic energy insulation, the acoustics adviser informs the applicant, in writing, of any adaptations which may need to be made.

When the work is completed, the acoustics adviser issues an end-of-works report, one copy of which is sent to the applicant, and two copies to the administration, by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt.

Acceptance of the sound insulation improvement works

The government administration carries out an on-site acceptance inspection of the sound insulation improvement works. Within 60 days of the date of submission of the end-of-works report to the administration, the applicant receives a proposed date for the on-site visit, via registered post with acknowledgement of receipt.

A written report is produced in the wake of the on-site inspection, with one copy being sent to the applicant by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt.

The acceptance is final if there are no observations of non-conformity regarding the sound insulation improvement works. It is provisional if observations are raised concerning non-conformity of the sound insulation improvement works. In this case, the observations of non-conformity are listed in a provisional acceptance report.

In case of provisional acceptance, the listed instances of non-conformity must be remedied in order to receive the financial aid. When the remedial work has been completed, the accredited acoustics adviser informs the administration by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt, and requests final acceptance.

Final acceptance of the sound insulation improvement work is mandatory in order to obtain the financial aid.

Deadlines

Applications for financial aid must be filed, at the latest, within the 5 calendar years following the year when the invoices pertaining to the eligible investments were issued, or they will no longer be accepted.

Investment for which the invoices are issued between 1 May 2013 and 31 December 2022 inclusive are eligible.

How to proceed

Obtaining financial aid

Applications for financial aid are filed with the Environment Agency, by the applicant or a representative acting on their behalf, either by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt, or by certified electronic submission, using specific forms available from the administration.

By filing the application, the applicant authorises the administration to carry out the necessary on-site checks.

When processing applications, the administration reserves the right to ask for any supporting document it deems necessary.

Power of attorney: Any person who has carried out works to improve the sound insulation of their residence, or has had such work carried out, may givepower of attorneyto a third party authorising that party to file the application for financial aid in their stead. In this case, the 'attorney', unless advised otherwise by legal counsel, must provide proof of their mandate in the form of a written power of attorney, duly dated and signed by the principal. The signature must be preceded by the handwritten note 'bon pour procuration' ('appointment of proxy').

Financial aid for guidance and advice on sound insulation

The applicant can obtain financial aid in the amount of EUR 70 per hour for consultation with an acoustic expert, but the total amount of the financial aid must not exceed:

EUR 1,000 for a house;

EUR 1,200 for a residential building containing two flats. A EUR 100 supplement is offered for each additional flat, but the total must not exceed EUR 1,500.

Claims can only be made for a single consultation with the expert for each residential building.

the date and reference of the sound insulation improvement guidance and advice;

the date and reference of the end-of-works report on the sound insulation works to which the application pertains;

the date and reference of the final acceptance report;

detailed and accurate copies of duly paid invoices;

where the application is filed by a third party ('attorney'), a copy of the power of attorney.

The subsidy for oversight and monitoring of the improvement work may only be awarded after final acceptance of at least one of the construction elements.

Financial aid for construction elements

Besides the financial aid for sound insulation improvement advice and guidance, and for the oversight and monitoring of the improvement works, subsequent works—some of which must conform to precise technical criteria—may be eligible for a subsidy from the State:

replacement of windows in habitable rooms (EUR 200 per m2 of window replaced);

installation of a controlled ventilation system (EUR 360 per habitable room);

wallpapering and plastering (EUR 50 per window);

upgrading of roofing or loft flooring (EUR 15 per m2, with a maximum of EUR 1,500 for a house or a two-flat building, with the latter also being eligible for a EUR 500 supplement for each additional flat, though this is capped at EUR 2,500).

The works to improve the sound insulation of the roofing and the loft flooring may not be split into two or more distinct periods, and only one application for financial aid may be lodged per project.

For residential buildings which it is in the public interest to conserve, and which are either fully or partially listed as national monuments, the Minister may deviate from the specific technical criteria in force, on condition that:

the works would alter the nature or appearance of the residential buildings in such a way as to jeopardise their status as officially protected buildings or monuments; or

the works would infringe a different legal or legislative provision in the field of construction; or

the works are technically impossible.

The application must state the applicant's surname, given name(s) and address, and must be accompanied by the following documents, or else it will be inadmissible:

the date and reference of the sound insulation improvement guidance and advice;

the date and reference of the end-of-works report on the sound insulation works to which the application pertains;

the date and reference of the final acceptance report;

detailed and accurate copies of duly paid invoices;

where the application is filed by a third party ('attorney'), a copy of the power of attorney.

The total amount of all subsidies must be no greater than EUR 12,500for a house and EUR 6,250 for a flat.

Payment of financial aid

The financial aid is paid directly to the applicants. However, where the application is filed by a third party ('attorney'), only in exceptional circumstances may the payments be made to the 'attorney''s own account. In such cases, the 'attorney' must immediately transfer the allocated monies to the applicant, and inform the administration when this is done.

Repayment of financial aid

The construction elements put in place must remain in place for at least 15 years from the final acceptance of the work, otherwise the granted aid will have to be repaid. Notwithstanding, they may be replaced at any time with materials of equal or better acoustic quality, though no financial aid will be available for such additional improvement work.

Any payments received must also be reimbursed if obtained through knowingly false or incomplete statements made by the beneficiary.